The Oubliette of Arches
by Pone-Dancer-Called-Tony
Summary: A story of slight insanity, with a cast of colorful characters trapped together in an oubliette (a pit like prison with a hole only at the top). All of them are my original characters, with minimal connections to the show. Rated T just to be safe. UPDATE: Now has dots to show a change in view. Didn't notice this problem until a few days ago. You can now easily follow the story
1. Ch 1 Enter Oubliette

The Oubliette Of Arches

A story of psychology and slight madness.

 **All characters are indeed of my design. The name Smoulderdash is not intended to be in any way related to Rainbow Dash, he is actually named after a video game character from Skylanders. I do not own the show My Little Pony. Any connection to it is purely coincidental.**

Characters and Descriptions

Puppet Master (Usually called Hank)- Is slate gray in appearance, with his mane styled in a short bob, with black lines running vertically down its length. His eyes are a soulless black, with neon yellow irises that can actually glow in the dark. His cutie mark is a puppeteer's marionette controller, two pieces of wood crossed over each other with a string on each end. Hank is psycho, and can use magic despite being an earth pony. He achieves this through atom splitting and with aid from his solidified conscience (yes, his conscience is another whole being in his head) which gives him extreme power. This power he rarely uses very wisely, usually just controlling ponies he dislikes and trolling others.

Joyful Noise- A bright sunshine yellow mare with a red oval on each cheek. The front of her mane is like a poofy marshmallow, and the rest a normal free flowing mane. It is pure white in coloring. Her cutie mark is a cherry red single beat note. Joyful Noise is always very happy, upbeat, and willing to do anything that doesn't want to be done. She is Hank's best friend, and the only one who can even halfway understand his insanity. Music references galore!

Cinnamon Bun- A paint earth mare. Her base is like a mixture of hot cocoa and the ripest plum imaginable, with the splotches like that of a browned vanilla cake. She has a splotch over her eyes, front shoulders, and one around her cutie mark. Her hair is super curly and a dark brown, frizzing all over her head. She has a gap in her front teeth, and has a very strong Southern-Jersey drawl. A 100% tomboy. She also has three freckles beneath her eyes. The cutie mark is- you guessed it- a cinnamon bun with lots of opaque icing!

Tommy Mula (Called Tommy, Mula is the last name)- Tommy is a turbo tall lanky mule (the hybrid of a donkey and an earth pony) with the coloring of really pale milk chocolate. Even though he towers over his friends, this skinny lad is actually younger than all of them. A child prodigy, he was sent to college two years early and quickly adapted to that life. His mane and tail are flat and black, and his eyes are large and curious. He is friendly to the point of being annoying. Also, he's Hank's roommate.

Smoulderdash- He is a legit dumb jock, only being there for the sports program. Smoulder is a creamy blue pegasi with abnormally large wings, which makes him the indispensable captain of the college's Hoofball team. His mane is an afro-like dome running partially down his neck, connecting to his lumberjack facial hair. The whole setup is an almond brown. He's a real ladies man, also being a real nincompoop. Smoulder can be a bully at times. His cutie mark consists of a lightning bolt through flames.

Elegant Nightmare- A Discord-like creature with mismatched ears, legs, and wings. But she has dreamy purple chest fluff like a cloud, and a shimmery dusky black base coat. Her mane looks like a bunch of dreadlocks, with bangs flopping over one eye. It has the same coloration as the chest floof. She has a beauty mark behind each eye, and wears eye shadow. Her cutie mark is a foggy mirror. Elegant is obsessed over Nebula to an unhealthy point.

Blanco- He is a pure white unicorn from hoof to nose. Oh yea, he's also blind to the point of seeing nothing, not even shadows. He is a good natured fellow and hard to tick off, but Smoulderdash's stupidity often miffs him. His mane is long with jagged ends, matching his tail. Ironically, his cutie mark is a large eye.

And lastly…..Nebula- A black appaloosa unicorn with an uncanny love of ribbons. His mane and tail are long, free flowing, and glittered with little stars. Nebula has white speckles all down his back, and some on the face. He is sort of feminine, and enjoys creating outfits for his freelance fashion studio. He is prissy, determined, and overly cautious about his mane. Nebula's cutie mark is a large star omitting light. He isn't exactly the biggest fan of Elegant Nightmare, but is willing to stick with her no matter what because friendship ties are the most important thing in his life besides fashion. And ribbons. And maybe glitter.

The setting is a fictional place called Hoofendale College.

Chapter 1

Enter the Oubliette

It was the first day of winter vacation at Hoofendale college. Puppet Master, often referred to as Hank, spread his slate grey body across his lumpy mattress. After a full five months of exhausting stressful work, he was fully prepared to relax and unwind. Reaching up, he dimmed the lights so his optical nerves could chill while he drifted off into space…..

Unfortunately, Tommy had other plans for the evening. Which mainly included a karaoke machine. The perky mule swung open the dorm door and boldly announced his arrival. "Hi there Hank! Lookit what I got!" Without waiting for a response, he plugged the contraption in.

Hank glanced reproachfully at the child genius who had so violently disturbed his tranquility. His glance intensified when he noted what he had brought with him. A karaoke machine. The stuff of nightmares when it came to an overworked hyper hybrid. Especially when the hybrid enjoyed a six hour play list.

"Tommy, please do not-"

But his plea came a moment too late. Tommy had already cranked up the volume to mach 3, and was belting out a particularly annoying guitar solo.

Hank winced in extreme pain as the loud melodies overdrove his sensitive senses. Out of desperation, he let out an agitated sigh and folded a pillow over his head. After a little while he could somewhat drown out most of Tommy's caterwauling. There was no way the whole dorm area couldn't hear him. Of course, most of the ponies here would join in..

Hank's eyes snapped open. Huh, he must've dozed off. A glance at the clock proved that it was one in the morning. And Tommy was still at his musical shenanigans. This was getting incredibly ridiculous on his part. Eyes narrowing and ears folding, Puppet Master channeled some energy to blow out one of the machine's speakers. A cry of dismay rose up from the other side of the room.

"Hey! What's going on here? It was working fine a moment ago.." A suspicious glance from the hybrid proved his theory. "Hank! That wasn't very nice. I was in the middle of My Heart Will Go On!"

Hank sniffed slightly. "I'm not very nice. You of all ponies should know that by now."

"Can you bring it back?"

"I'd prefer it if you fell asleep instead like a normal being." Hank grumbled.

Tommy rolled his eyes with a smile and clambered onto the upper bunk. "My singing was nothing compared to your snoring Hank!'

"Twas not you insufferable creature." The grey stallion bared his sharp teeth slightly up at the bunk above him.

Tommy cackled and turned off the lights completely.

Hank blinked in satisfaction and rolled over, pondering the day's events. Now that he thought about it, most of his 'comrades' had been rather irksome lately. He flicked his tail as an idea stuck out to him like a jolly rancher in a plate of broccoli. Why not set up an experiment? It would regain the rightful terror of him that he deserved, and teach them a lesson at the same time! It was so simple! But first a place to set it up. Hank smirked a truly awful smirk before sliding out of bed and silently trotting to the dorm's restroom. This would be fun….

"I suppose you all are wondering why I gathered you here." Puppet Master's yellow gaze surveyed the mixed group crammed into his dorm room before him. He stood in front of the bathroom door, back facing it. His eyes rested on a brightly colored earth pony slightly longer than the others, but quickly moved on. Smoulderdash, an impatient Pegasus, stamped a hoof.

"Are you gonna tell us or stand there and glare?"

"I was just getting to that part." Hank replied coolly. "You all are aware that my agitation levels have reached above average lately?"

"What does that mean." Smoulder huffed.

"It means ya ticked him off." Scoffed Cinnamon Bun, a paint earth pony with a thick southern drawl. "Yah'd know that if ya weren't so dumb." She clapped the jock upside the head. Smoulder, ego injured, deflated slightly. The crowd shifted in anticipation. Hank rolled his eyes.

"Everypony, not just a certain jock, have ruffled my fur recently."

Joyful Noise giggled slightly, unaware that Hank's ears swiveled to capture the lovely sound. "Oh don't be silly Hank. We haven't touched a hair on you hide!" She turned a vibrant sunshine head to look at her friends. "Right?"

Smoulderdash shrugged uneasily. Tommy fidgeted. Cinnamon Bun glanced around in a shifty manner. Blanco, being very much blind, sat staring at a wall with a confused smile. Nebula brushed his mane. Elegant Nightmare flicked her tail, bored.

"See? They didn't do anything." Joy bounced happily in place. "We should all just hug and feel better."

It suddenly occurred to Hank that she could probably feel the tension emitting from him.

"I would rather die than hug him." Smoulder growled.

"Puppet Master, hon, did you call us here to give a lecture or show us something." The black appaloosa shook his glittery mane luxuriously. Elegant Nightmare practically drooled.

Hank nodded. "Yes, follow me." He turned and clicked open the door.

The equines sauntered in, expecting a funky new shower head or another oddity. Instead, there was a large pulsing wormhole in the floor where the shower used to be.

"Aw Hank! We talked about this. No more portals in the bathroom!" Tommy whined.

"But this isn't just your everyday bathroom portal my friend. It leads to your wildest dreams….your deepest wishes." Hank traced a hoof along the edge and a string of mini lightning followed it.

"Well! I thought you were pretty ticked at us, but we're being rewarded instead of punished?" Tommy tilted a quizzical head.

"Correct. I'm attempting reverse psychology."

"I dunno what those words mean, but that's good enough for me. Models and tons of trophies, here I come!" Smoulderdash soared into the air and swiftly dove into the luminous cavern. It popped and sparkled, but otherwise remained the same. Cinnamon Bun shrugged and stepped in after him.

"He'll get himself hurt without me."

Tommy wiggled his rump indecisively, eyeballing the hole up. "You're positive this leads to a land of imagination?"

Hank placed a fore hoof over his heart, faking offense. "Would I make it otherwise Tommy? Every creation of mine is creative in its own way."

Pleased with that answer, the hybrid let out an ear shattering holler and belly flopped into the chasm. Nebula followed suit, with Elegant Nightmare slithering along behind. Blanco stuck one hoof in, lost his balance, and tumbled the rest of the way. Hank was suddenly aware of another pony's presence beside him. He turned to see a thoughtful faced Joyful Noise. "There's not really wishes down there, correct?"

"That is true. It was just a ruse to trap them down there willingly." Hank admitted remorselessly. He gave her a sideways glance. "This wormhole was not designed with you in mind."

Joyful Noise shook out her nonexistent wings. Puppet Master somewhat stared as her glossy pelt rippled in rhythm. Joy was part Pegasus- on her father's side and because of this she often had pegasi like tendencies. Shaking out her 'wings', preening her shoulders, and puffing out chest fluff was deeply ingrained into her system. At least she could jump three times the distance and height that an average pony could. And that Pegasus soft, silky, feathery downy coat. It looked so warm and inviting…

Hank shook his head slightly to break his mini trance.

"So..um.." She shifted a bit. "Can I go in it anyway?"

He wasn't surprised at her request. She could easily master any demented puzzle or labyrinth he could throw at her. It was all in the correct attitude, apparently.

"Oh why not. It'll be an easy one for you, just saying."

Joy gathered her legs beneath her and gave a mighty leap, ducking from the ceiling fixtures. "You got it! I'll be back in fifteen minutes if the others don't hold me up!"

As she disappeared with a zap, Hank smiled and turned his attention to a full two weeks of him time. Maybe when Joy came back they could play Scrabble. Or possibly watch some soap operas. With new ideas swimming in his mind, he closed the bathroom door gently behind him and locked it from the inside with a little help from his dark magic. What to do first, What to do first?

 _Which way am I falling?_ Tommy's thoughts swirled in a cacophony of questions, but they boiled down to one. _How could I possibly find out?_ Cautiously, he cracked open an eye. The vortex around him morphed into a colorful whorl, so bright it burned his retinas to the core. With a small cry, he clenched them shut and curled into a ball, waiting.

And waiting…

Falling…..

Until a smooth surface touched his pelt. Shivering slightly Tommy slowly rose to his feet. His long knees knocked together as he gawked at his surroundings. All around him in a seemingly endless room were pure white marble arches. Some were tall and wide, others were short and thin, and even some were completely upside down. The only source of light illuminated from a tiled glass ceiling, behind the glass being gold with flecks of some sort of glowing energy. Tommy frowned, spinning in place. The ceiling was so far up! But wait, over there! A single hole, where the wormhole still pulsed. Not even thinking about his friends' locations, he made a mad gallop towards that last bit of hope.

Another set of hooves rang out nearby, and he looked to see Cinnamon Bun hufing and puffing up a particularly tall arch above him. A quick glance below showed Nebula right behind. The darker pony seemed to prefer lower arches, not wanting to break a sweat.

Finally! There, directly under the opening rose a large marble platform. Tommy stepped off his arch and promptly tripped over Blanco. "Ouch! Who did that?!" The white pony jumped up defensively, useless eyes narrowed in the wrong direction.

Picking himself up, Tommy held in a chuckle. "Sorry bud, you blend right in with this place!"

"I'm not sure where exactly I am." The blind pony frowned. "Are we sharing the same wish?"

"Ah think nawt." Cinnamon Bun wheezed in her Jersey drawl, head bobbing as she fought for breath.

"Then what happened." Nebula inquired, prancing over to them.

"Hank tricked us sillies!" Joyful Noise beamed, hopping happily along the underside of a nearby arch above them.

"Uh Joy, you're upside down." Nebula pointed out.

Joy smiled at him. "How do you know if you're right side up?"

Cinnamon Bun shuddered. "Ah don't like this place one bit. If ah see Hank again, ah'll give 'em the ol' one two!" She waved a furious hoof at the air.

Tommy relapsed into a curious silence. He stood there tail flicking, brows furrowed. He looked so uncharacteristically serious it was almost comical. "Guys, I figured out where we are." He walked the complete outline of the platform then returned to the center, all eyes on him. Well, almost all of them.

"We are inside an….an..an…"

"A what Tommy." Elegant Nightmare hauled herself onto the platform and stepped on Blanco causing both to yelp.

"As I was saying, we are trapped in the bowels of an Oubliette." Tommy's eyes widened in shock at the blank stares of response. "Don't you see it? We're trapped in a prison!"

"A pit-like prison with only one opening at the top to be exact." Joy called, a few arches away than before. She was currently walking along the side of an arch like a balancing beam. "Gravity is pretty funky down here-Incoming!"

A large pile of feathers came crashing out of nowhere, and Tommy only had seconds to leap aside. With a mighty THUMP it lay still. There sat Smoulderdash, looking very much like a disheveled bird. A very grumpy, disheveled bird.

"What happened to ya?" Cinnamon Bun was the first to speak up.

"This rotten place, that's what! I can't tell if I'm up or down!" He snapped, standing and ruffling his feathers indignantly. "It's fine when I'm down here, but once I'm in the air it gets all screwy." Smoulder stamped a hind hoof impatiently.

To prove his point, the large-winged Pegasus jumped off the edge and swooped upward. At first, his wing beats moved smoothly and true. However, as he slowly rose upward, his pace hit a complete standstill. Smoulder strained and beat his wings faster, harder. His head thrashed up and down, legs churning. All to no avail. His wings scooped nothing but empty space. With a final effort, his wings pleadingly reached up in a desperate movement. Sweating profusely, he faltered and smashed to earth with a screech of frustration.

"It's like the air gets heavier or something." His overworked wing muscles protested, and he flinched as he drew them back to his sides. "Now I'm just as useless as you scrubs!"

"Gee thanks." Cinnamon Bun snorted. "Come on Blanco, ah'll show ya 'round this kooky room." She led the blind pony to a very wide arch for safety. "This way."

"What if we're all sharing this really stupid dream?" Elegant Nightmare whispered.

Nebula groaned and held his head. "Stop it!"

Obviously bored with her gravity defying antics, Joy did a perfect back flip from an overhead arch some 30 feet above and landed without a hitch. She watched Cinnamon Bun and Blanco slowly head off to explore for a moment then went to sit by Tommy. "Don't feel too bad. At least it's a fun prison!"

The mule's long ears pricked. "You're right! This must be especially hard on Blanco, being unable to see and all. Not very safe here."

Smoulderdash stalked over, already agitated beyond control. And he had zero patience for an overly optimistic pony. He and her shared a negative history, and he was always willing to start a fight. Well, a one sided fight.

"What're you over here for Queen Cringe. Don't you have somepony else's ear to yammer off?"

Joy was taken aback by his unprovoked verbal attack. She deflated slightly, ears drooping. But equally quickly she perked back up. "I won't miss you as much as the others Smoulder. Tommy, I hope you get out soon!" With a final flick of her tail, she vanished over the edge of the platform to reappear many yards away on a distant arch.

"Huh. Wonder what that meant." Tommy mused, head craning to track her movement.

"Who cares? I'm glad she left. It would suck being stuck down here with her constant hollering and…" He shuddered, "her singing. For HOURS."

Nebula lay sprawled out on an arch, a fore hoof idly swinging. "It means Tommy, we're going to be here awhile." He sighed dramatically, choosing to ignore the Pegasus' outburst.

Elegant Nightmare laughed. "I have the magic to get us back lickitty-split." She raised a paw and snapped. Nothing. She snapped again, face dropping in slight fear. For the first time in awhile, Elegant Nightmare started to panic. "Come on, come on." She hissed, snapping repeatedly. "No no no! I thought Hank couldn't control my magic!"

"Ouch. He must've gone all out to prevent us from coming back." Nebula rolled his eyes.

With a dejected whimper, the mismatched creature wrapped herself around the dark appaloosa unicorn.

"Leggo! I can't breathe…"

Shortly, Cinnamon Bun returned with Blanco in tow.

"We scouted the whole area. No signs of food or water." The blind unicorn reported.

Cinnamon swished her tail, gaze rolling over a mind broken Tommy, a wing-sore Smoulderdash, skipping a suffocating Nebula, and resting onto the empty arches of beyond. With a concerned frown, the paint mare asked a chilling question.

"Where's Joy?"


	2. Ch 2 Hunger Hike

**I do not own the show My Little Pony. My story's connections to it are completely minimal. Smoulderdash is not related to Rainbow Dash in any way. Bonita means pretty in Spanish.**

Oubliette of Arches, Chapter 2

"Where is Joy?" Where'd she wander off to?" Cinnamon Bun inquired stepping to the side allowing Blanco to pass. Her face faltered a bit, a chilling suspicion creeping into her veins.

Tommy shrugged, turning to look at her. "I just figured that she went after you guys."

"Nope! I chased her off." Smoulderdash bragged pretending to not be impressing her. "I'm not letting the annoying one stay. You can thank me later." He winked.

"You idiot! Don't ya have any idea what yah've done?!" Cinnamon Bun shrieked, eyes wide and ears pinned.

"Why're you so mad. It's just Joy who's gone…" Smoulder glowered.

"Exactly mah point! She's gone! And we're here! Can't ya put that together?" She couldn't believe that he couldn't grasp the gravity of the situation.

Tommy got it. He scrambled to his feet with an audible gasp. "Holy hoof, you're right…Joy was the only one who understands Hank in a way…"

"So she probably knew the exit all the time." Blanco finished, frowning.

Nebula let out a depressed sob. Elegant Nightmare stroked the unicorn's head and glared at Smoulderdash. "Good job fat feather. You chased off our free ticket outta here."

Smoulder snorted, tossing his head. "I don't need her, I've got you scrubby nerds to get us out." He grinned and sat down like he just solved a Rubik's cube.

"He's…so…..stupid." Blanco grumbled under his breath. The others nodded in silent assent.

…...

Puppet Master was perusing a Black Arts book hoping to find something to help him hone in on his powers. Unfortunately, he'd already read this particular novel about 17 times. A small sound caused one of his ears to swivel back toward the dormitory door. It was Joyful Noise breathing. A small smile flickered across his lips. "Back so soon?"

"Aw Hank, you ruined my hug pounce." Joy pouted, deciding to trot over next to him and plop herself down on the floor. "Yea I'm back. Smoulderdash was being a big meanie." She sighed, reaching up and placing her head on his forelegs. "What're you doing?"

"Currently nothing." He was quite content to lay there and listen to her heart pump blood at a steady rate through her warm body. It was a comforting sound in its own way. So reliable. His heightened senses could even smell moods. She had a pleasant relaxed scent right now, a scent of a dash of cinnamon and vanilla. Hank closed his eyes.

"Uh Hank?"

"Hmm." He refused to break from his trance.

"You're sniffing the inside of my ear again."

Puppet Master snapped his head away in an instant.

"Not complaining, but it kinda tickled." She made a face.

He rolled his yellow eyes, smirking slightly. "Okay….how about I do…..this?" Hank leaned forward and sniff-nuzzled the sensitive skin where the neck and cheek connected.

Joyful Noise squeaked like a mouse on fire, shooting to her hooves and bucking the air.

"You made me get up!" She stood there tail swishing in an agitated way. Puppet Master wasn't ticklish, so there was no easy revenge to be had. So instead, Joy just attempted to stare him down. Hank regarded her coolly, still sprawled on his mattress.

"You have to blink at some point." She cackled. In response he opened his jaws and calmly licked both of his eyes. Oddly enough, this disgusting action always tickled Joyful Noise pink. She giggled and laughed and rolled until her eyes were clenched closed and tears were oozing out. "O…Okay! You win!" She gasped out, holding her aching sides.

Hank nodded. "That's right."

They both sat in pleasant silence for a minute.

"I'm bored." Joy hopped back up and prodded Puppet Master with a hoof. "And I'm hungry."

He snorted in amusement. "Alright, alright. I'm getting up. Sheesh."

"Let's go to that super greasy hayburger place! And for after, I found this amazing thrift shop!" She bounced off, already rattling off things they should do. The bright mare paused, waiting for him to catch up. "Hey, won't the others get hungry at some point?"

To be honest, Hank had forgotten all about them. "I'll give 'em something later." He shrugged.

Pleased with that answer Joy bumped him with her shoulder, then zipped off. "Race ya!"

Having no desire to take part in friendly competition Hank plodded along at his usual pace. All the easier to analyze the sweet sensation of their pelts brushing. Someday he'd say something, but for now friendship was all he wanted.

…...

"How long have we been here for?" Blanco tugged at Cinnamon Bun's mane which turned out to be a tail. The ceiling's light had diminished considerably. Blanco's belly growled in reply to his question. Smoulderdash popped out from behind a large arch.

"So it's great that we're doing nothing and all, but I'm starving here."

"Me too. Ah say we scout fo' food. Maybe Hank left it scattered randomly, just so we can struggle to get it." Cinnamon Bun suggested.

"Hank is cruel enough to pull a stunt like that." Nebula mused, having slipped from Elegant's grasp.

Blanco shook his head. "I'm going to stay right here." He was sure that Puppet Master would leave the food on the platform. Why else would he leave the portal open and platform there?

Tommy was following the blind unicorn's line of thought as well. "We should stay guys. Getting separated is the worst thing that can happen."

"Well I'm not sitting around to die slowly! Who's with me?" Smoulderdash flared his wings in a valiant attempt to look heroic.

"Ah'm sorry Tommy hon. Ah believe that Smoulder is right fo' the first time."

"Hey!" The Pegasus glared at Cinnamon Bun.

"Mmmm…I'll tag along as well. It doesn't feel right waiting for food to fall into our laps.." Nebula went to stand with them.

"I go wherever Nebby goes!" Elegant Nightmare fluttered her eyelashes and sidled up to him. The dark unicorn rolled his eyes.

"Right. Let's leave these weak links behind and find some chow!" Smoulderdash led the way, wings folded, head high, and tail flicking. The others followed close behind save two.

Tommy watched the small group ascend a wide arch in mild dismay. "Oh, I'm going to regret this…" He pranced in place then bolted after them. "Hey guys, wait up!"

Blanco backed himself against an inside of an arch, safe with the solid backing. He lay down, head swimming. Was he really a weak link? Was it because he was blind? Oh, if only he could be more useful! Silently cursing his disability he allowed a tear to slip out before dozing off into a miserable bout of sleep.

Had it been hours since they left? Blanco shook himself awake. Cautiously, he stepped out of his shelter. "Hello? Is anypony there?"

The only response was a cool gust of air whistling through some nearby arches. Blanco shivered and sat down. He had never felt so small and alone in his dark world. His belly gurgled with vengeance. Blanco patted it, sighing. "Oh quiet you. It's not like food is just going to…" A crinkly bag smacked him in the head from above. "..Fall from the sky?" He blinked and gingerly sniffed at the object. A warm familiar smell wafted into his dilated nostrils. "Is this GreasyWorld? It can't be a hayburger." He pawed eagerly at it, and finally victorious, removed the final wrapping with his magic. Holding aloft his prize, he took a huge bite. Butter, ketchup, melted cheese, liquid fat, and cheap soggy hay squirted from the impact of the chomp. He chewed blissfully. "Oh my gosh." He gushed between chews. "I thought I'd never taste you again."

Wiping the glistening juices from his muzzle, Blanco dug around once more in the bag. Much to his delight, he discovered Xtra Salty Taters and a large Cola Fizz. His ears picked up a small flittering sound, much like that of a falling piece of paper. It took the blind unicorn a little while to find it but when he did, he was glad of the effort. It was in Braille. Slowly moving his snout over the raised bumps he could decode a simple message that was suspiciously in what seemed to be Joyful Noise's hoof writing.

'Good things comes to those who wait.'

…...

"Ugh, we've been walking for HOURS and still NOTHING!" Elegant Nightmare pinned her mismatched ears with a screech. Tommy, who was somehow floating a few inches away, nodded.

"Would you cut that out?" She grumbled.

"I would if I could! It just randomly started and now I can't get back down." The mule frowned, dangling his legs for extra emphasis. All that did was cause him to float forward.

"Hey! Hooves to yourself." Smoulderdash huffed. Cinnamon Bun reached up to grab one of his limbs as it drifted past, hoping to drag him back to earth. But instead she steadily rose as well.

Hastily, the paint mare released Tommy. "Aw hay naw." She dropped to the ground. "Sorry Tommy, yah're on your own."

Tommy sighed and drooped slightly. Somehow the depressed emotion allowed him to glide downwards. "Hey, I'm going down!" As soon as he perked up, he rose steadily.

"Whoah that's screwed up." Nebula ducked under the hovering equine. "We have to make him depressed to get him back?"

"Pft, easy." Smoulder strutted back. "I specialize in making ponies feel like crap."

Tommy's eyes widened. "NO! No, not necessary!" He waved his front legs in definite denial.

"You suuuure?" The Pegasus wiggled his tail at the prospect.

"Yes! 100% certain. Just don't!" Tommy air-scrabbled until he could latch onto one of Elegant's gnarled antlers.

"Ugh, what a wuss." Smoulderdash turned his attention on to catching up to Cinnamon Bun. The southern mare was currently gazing at the ceiling.

"What's shaking bonita?" He swaggered up next to her, chest all puffed out. He had no idea what bonita meant, but it sounded hot to him.

Cinnamon Bun ignored his usual advances. "Well, there's no sign of food an' it's gettin dark."

Nebula bit his lip in mild panic. "We should give up this silly food chase and return to Blanco…"

"That'd be great, but we won't make it in time." Cinnamon Bun shook her head and turned to the group. "Besides, do any of ya'll remember the way back?"

Silence, followed by hung heads.

"Thought not." She snorted.

"Uh, why don't we just find a place to camp for the night and try to get back in the morning?" Tommy offered, doing little air flips.

"Clever thinking Tommy." Nebula heartily agreed.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Smoulder nodded, whishing he had come up with that.

Cinnamon Bun grinned, tooth gap flashing. "It's settled then. Let's camp!"

After about 15 minutes, the crew located a makeshift plateau made up of several converging arches. The air around them grew darker by the second, and colder too.

Smoulder plopped himself down on his stomach. "I'm willing to take one for the team. Whoever is cold can sleep under my super dope wings." He stretched them out to their full magnificent length. Of course he only looked to Cinnamon Bun as he declared this.

"Aw, thanks! Don't mind if I do." Tommy dove under one, attempting to wriggle under and stay anchored at the same time. Unfortunately, not even a spectacularly strong wing could keep Tommy grounded. The mule soon drifting back upward. "Oh, that sucks man. I guess I gotta curl up in a ball to prevent hypothermia."

Elegant Nightmare flicked her tail. "Nebula doesn't need that offer when he has me!"

"Wait! No….Ack!" The unicorn's protests were squelched by Elegant's merciless coils.

"Oh shush. I can't have you freezing to death on me." She huffed.

Eventually they all settled down. Smoulderdash pretended to not be fazed when Cinnamon Bun found the side farthest from him and curled up. With that, the oubliette went completely dark.


	3. Ch 3 Voices, Discovery of the Glyph

**I do not own the show My Little Pony. My story's connections to it are completely minimal. Smoulderdash is not related to Rainbow Dash in any way.**

Chapter 3

After a long and eventful day Puppet Master was fast asleep. This in itself wasn't particularly impressive. The more intriguing topic was what happens in his mind when he is asleep. At this critical time, his other half (his solidified conscience) would become the most active. All day it had been restricted in movement, and it was itching to wreak a little havoc. And tonight, with a smirk in his sleep, Hank let it slip loose.

…...

Blanco laid in the eternal blackness that was his world. He could not tell if the day had broken yet. So there he was trembling in, not cold, but silent terror. For all around him was the creaking and groaning of arches as they moved; They seemed to be rearranging themselves in some fashion. His surroundings shook as his shelter arch shuddered upwards, bringing Blanco with it. The blind unicorn found himself upside down without a solution to get back to earth. At about the same time, the voices started. He could barely perceive the faint whispers, and his ears strained to understand. They did not seem pleased to find him awake. "Hank? Hello? Are you there?" Blanco mewled pathetically, eyes filling with defeated tears. "I'm stuck here with no way out. Can you hear me?"

A light tendril of warm air brushed his cheek, and the voices started to dissipate. "No! No, don't go!" Hurling his fears aside, he galloped after them. Whenever a hoof struck out at empty air, he would violently swerve the other way.

In this sloppy fashion Blanco found himself back on the platform drenched in sweat. He could tell this was so by the lack of elevation as he walked a cool off lap. Panting, Blanco barely even noticed that the voices had dissolved completely into the void of the Oubliette.

"Th…thank you…"

…...

Cinnamon Bun was dreaming, she was sure of it. But if it was a dream, why would she still be in this wretched place? She surveyed the area. It was definitely still the same place. But the lighting was different, a hair- tingling mustard orange. All around shadows slithered, just out of her line of vision. The whole situation was quite unnerving. She took a step back, and noticed a Tommy-like shadow. With a relieved sigh, Cinnamon Bun took a step forward. Then promptly froze.

"I came up with the camping idea. Shouldn't I be the leader? Cinnamon Bun can't think on her hooves, let alone get herself out of a plastic bag." The large eared shadow sneered. He seemed to not notice her presence, instead shifting into the profile of a unicorn.

"I agree. She's just a weak earth pony! Totally the least useful in this operation." Nebula's voice cackled.

Cinnamon Bun reeled in shock. No! They couldn't mean this! Her friends were always so loyal and supportive of her! She turned to confront them, but only flickering lights remained, back to casting swirling shapes in the darkness. They were gone; The dream was over.

Cinnamon Bun woke up in a cold sweat, her heart hammering. After calming down a bit, she suddenly realized that it was fabulously warm. Like being wrapped in a heated blanket. With a delighted grunt she snuggled even closer to the source of the delicious heat. It was so feathery smooth…

Feathery? Standing quickly, Cinnamon Bun jerked to attention. A wing slid off her back and landed with a small thud. Smoulderdash groggily blinked up at her.

"Huzzat? What was that for?" He yawned, stretching lazily.

"Just what were ya pulling off there." She hissed, teeth bared.

Smoulderdash, still bleary eyed, just gazed dumbly back at her.

"Well?" Cinnamon Bun demanded.

He shook himself, still not at the point of getting up. "Well, I saw you shaking and rolling and saying stuff in your sleep. I sure as heck don't know what hypothermia means or what it does, but Tommy made it seem bad. So I helped you out," He yawned again. "I didn't sleep well."

"Wow….that was…actually considerate of ya." Cinnamon Bun looked away, embarrassed for being so mad.

"Uh huh. Anything for you babe." The Pegasus grinned dopily. "I'm just confused why the moving arches didn't wake anyone else up."

"The arches were moving?!" Tommy hovered over, his eyes wide. In his forelegs he carried five brown bags.

"Yea, well not all of yah ideas are good ones." Cinnamon Bun muttered bitterly.

"What?" The mule swiveled an ear towards her.

"Nothing. What's in tha bags?"

"Oh yes!," He exclaimed, momentarily distracted. "There's breakfast sandwiches in here." He offered her one.

Suddenly Smoulderdash was wide awake. "Bout time! Thanks nerd." He lunged forward and snatched it, greedily stuffing his head inside. Loud chomping ensued.

"Geez man, it's to eat, not inhale." Tommy watched the Pegasus in sick fascination.

'At least it's not poisoned.' Cinnamon Bun thought to herself, reluctantly taking another.

Cinnamon Bun concentrated on one bite at a time. Unfortunately, her nagging thoughts made it near impossible. It was just a dream! It shouldn't control how she acted towards others, let alone plague her head. And yet those hurtful comments still stung. Tommy would never say or do anything like that! And yet she was still disgusted of him. Appetite killed, she saved the remains in the bag for later.

"Tommy?"

"Yea?" The younger equine replied drifting over.

Was it just her, or did he sound distant?

"Well, ah gotta tell ya somethin'."

He nodded patiently.

She took a deep breath. "Ah had this….dream. An' in it, ya said some very….mutinous words 'bout my leadership." She risked a curious glance at his face.

"Oh! Me too! But instead of leadership, it was about my smarts and how my ideas were always bad. You and Nebula were pretty rude." He looked so downcast his hooves almost touched the ground.

"Wait, Nebula? He was in mah dream too!" Cinnamon Bun gasped, ears pricking.

"Yea? Really? How curious!" He started floating again. "Then that means Hank is trying to drive a wedge between us."

"But why." She pondered, rubbing a hoof under her chin.

"I guess to him we're the strongest emotionally." Tommy shrugged.

Nebula staggered over, claiming a bag. "Did anypony else hear voices last night?"

"I did." Smoulder sniffed sadly at the empty wrappers. "They just said random crap. 'Any way the wind blows.' What does that even mean?!" He shook out his wings.

"Hm? That's not what they were saying. To me it was, 'United we stand, divided we fall.'" Nebula frowned.

"No, it was definitely 'Scream into the silence.'" Elegant Nightmare piped up.

"Okay, Hank obviously played a part in this." Tommy sighed.

…...

It was hopefully day. The air no longer blew in chilly blasts, it came in warm waves. Blanco had taken to pacing around and around and around and around. He was so bored! As soon as he finished breakfast (Joyful Noise made some killer foods and sandwiches was one of them) the lack of activity buzzed him. At some point his hooves grew very well accustomed to every rift, crack, or bump in the floor. To his puzzlement, his hoof brushed an odd shape as he passed over the middle of the platform.

"Huh?" The blind unicorn pawed at it gently, attempting to feel it out. He could discern a glyph of some sort. It felt like…..the shape of Puppet Master's cutie mark. Blanco made a face. "Ugh, creative man. Real original."

But inside, he was rejoicing. A glyph meant a key. A key meant a way out.

He did not want to lose this find one bit. So, to keep its place, he carefully sat on it. Blanco deeply hoped that the others would find the key in their travels.

…...

Puppet Master and Joyful Noise were busy playing Monopoly when Hank suddenly plunged away from the table, his ears flattened and eyes clenched closed. He fell to the floor contorting wildly. His jaws opened to scream. It was a silent cry at first, but it quickly built in volume. "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

Joy stood above him with obvious concern etched onto her face. "Uh Hank? Er, Puppet Master? You okay?"

"Nooo.." He warbled, eyes watering dark oily tears over his unfocused pupils.

"Can I do anything?" The yellow mare took a step back. Was he going to explode?

"Turn off the lights so I can refocus..Ugh! Blanco! He stinking sat on my internal camera and threw off the mental connection!" Hank hissed, back fur fluffing in agitation.

The lights flickered on and off multiple times.

"Sorry! Had all of the switched mixed up!" A cheery voice called.

They stayed off.

Hank slowly breathed out, brain defuzzing and resetting like a laptop.

"Ah, there we are…much better." He purred, then quickly frowned. "Drat."

"What? Did you reconnect?" Joy attempted to rejoin him but only achieved crashing into a table and ramming into a wall.

"Well, yes I did. But I sorely wish I left it off." He sighed, eyes darkening. Hank was not amused. "All I can see is Blanco's…rump." Hank rubbed his forehead with a hoof, curling a lip in distaste.

Joyful Noise laughed so hard she smacked a vase off of a shelf. She attempted to calm down and catch it at the same time, failing miserably at both tasks. Hank spent the next two hours fixing the busted glass vase.

…...

Smoulderdash was leading the way when he stumbled across two pieces of wood. They looked like something you'd control puppets with. Which meant it looked suspiciously like Puppet Master's cutie mark. Smoulder mused it for a bit, then quickly stuffed it into his poofy mane to present to Cinnamon Bun later as a gift. Pegasi were adept to giving random treasures to the ponies they're attracted to the most, and he was no exception. That and he didn't want to carry it all the time. It felt important, though Smoulder couldn't quite place it and probably never would.


	4. Ch 4 Many Directions

**I do not own the show My Little Pony. My story's connections to it are completely minimal. Smoulderdash is not related to Rainbow Dash in any way. The song** _ **Here I Go Again**_ **is by Whitesnake and I do not own that either.**

Chapter 4

Blanco had a little tiny dilemma on his hooves. His dinner was about two feet out of his reach. On the other side, he did not want to give up his position. Was eating really worth sacrificing everypony's chance of escape? No, no it wasn't. The white unicorn grunted in disappointment. Dang, he could still smell it! The delectable wisps of air awakened his stomach, and it rumbled as a nagging reminder that he skipped lunch as well. "Oh shut up you." He poked his belly with a fore hoof. 'Some water would be appreciated though.' Blanco thought to himself miserably. Suddenly, the blind equine was struck by a doozy of an idea. His heart slamming against his ribs, he carefully wedged a hind hoof into the glyph. Very slowly, he reached the length of his body forward. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, fully aware of what he was risking here. His three legs supporting his weight strained at the effort. It seemed to take minutes, but eventually he was rewarded with his muzzle bumping against a tray. A flood of relief flooded over him as he sank back to meet his hind legs, resuming his perch. Mashed potatoes never tasted so good.

…...

Puppet Master was having a lovely time, locked in the throws of an intense staring championship. Joyful Noise, forehead just inches from his, watched intently. Her delicate nostrils quivered in the struggle to sit still. With a blink of shock, her head shied away. At a safer distance, the yellow mare studied his face in confusion.

"What?" Hank inquired. If she lost on purpose, there was a legit reason for her doing so.

"You're right eye. It's twitching like mad." She bluntly stated.

"Oh, yes. So it is." He shook his head a few times. "That would be Blanco again. He jammed his hoof right into the ESP receptor. I should never had tried to lure him off my camera. I turned it off just now."

"So you don't have to look at him anymore!" She clapped her hooves.

"Correct. Unfortunately, I won't be able to check when they'll return." Hank tilted his head. "It'll be….a surprise."

"I LOVE surprises!" Joy squealed, dancing around the game room which they were currently occupying.

Coolly, Hank watched her spaz out. It never ceased to amuse him. "Would you like to resume the contest? We were distracted."

"No thanks. I can only take your stare for about a half hour at a time." She stopped bouncing. "But I would love to play ping-pong!"

Joyful Noise knew that Hank was a worthy opponent. Her turbo-fast assaults were easily deflected by his steady returns and calculating gaze.

"Now we're getting to the good stuff. Best out of 50?" He trotted to the table, lifting a paddle with his dark magic.

"But of course!" Joy rushed to the opposite end. "Shall I serve first?"

"Please do."

…...

Cinnamon Bun tried as hard as possible to avoid Smoulderdash, which wasn't hard. He was usually way ahead, or lagging behind. Sometimes, he would irritate Tommy by unfolding a wing and run-by tickle the mule's floating hooves. He would use the same tactic in messing up Nebula's mane, which left the appaloosa unicorn tittering and preening himself for hours on end. Elegant Nightmare caught on to this and prevented it most of the time.

Why he chose now to sidle up next to her, she had no clue.

"What do ya want." Cinnamon Bun watched him warily from the corner of her eye.

Oblivious to her obvious dislike he paused and took out the hunk of wood.

"I got you a gift." Smoulder bragged, pleased as punch.

"Uh, Smoulderdash? This is ah piece of trash." She curled a lip disgusted but took it anyway.

"But it's a rare piece of trash! Probably the only one down here." The Pegasus snapped out a wing and yanked her to his side. "Ain't it thoughtful?"

Cinnamon Bun attempted to wiggle backwards out of his wing hug, failing epically. The stupid limb of feathers was like a vice.

"No," (yank) "ah think" (yank) "that ya" (yank) "haven't ever" (yank) "had an original thought" (yank) "in yah life." (tug)

"Whaat? It is plenty 'original'. I'm hurt inside!" He flapped his wings open in mock hurt, accidentally giving Cinnamon Bun the chance to duck away.

"Ugh, fine. Ah'll hold onto it. There. Ya happy?" She grouched, shoving the offending item into her tightly curled mane.

Smoulderdash didn't respond. Instead, he laughed that annoying jocky 'told you so' chortle and pranced away head and tail high.

With his wings folded like that and with his current gait, he kind of looked like a duck. Cinnamon Bun was about to cackle at his receding figure when somepony sharply tugged on her tail.

She spun, eyes narrowed. "What." The paint mare snapped.

Tommy flinched away, hovering uncertainly. "Uh…I hear Blanco. He's singing? I think." His long ears swiveled as he listened hard. "Yea! But it's coming from, like, seven directions. I can't pin the way."

Cinnamon Bun frowned. "That ain't possible."

"Everything is possible down here." The hybrid replied softly.

Cinnamon Bun stood stock still, straining her ears. Yes, there it was. A screechy, familiar singing voice.

" **Here I go again on my own.**

 **Goin' down the only road I've ever known…"**

Cinnamon Bun grimaced at the cacophony and turned slightly. It came from there as well! She spun a full circle. Yes, it was equally strong on all sides.

"Aw heck." 


	5. Ch 5 The Key is Returned

**I do not own the show My Little Pony. My story's connections to it are completely minimal. Smoulderdash is not related to Rainbow Dash in any way.**

Chapter 5

Blanco's ear twitched. He could've sworn that he'd heard something. Was it an actual pony? He had stopped singing a few hours ago because hearing his own voice echoing made him depressed. But yes, this time there were others out there! He sprang to his hooves, carefully keeping one on the glyph.

"Tommy! Is that you?" Blanco hollered, spirits rising.

A silent pause.

"Yes, I'm here!" A faint call replied.

It was definitely Tommy. Blanco was so relieved he could've cried. He settled for a squeal and body wiggle.

"Is everypony with you?" The blind unicorn inquired loudly.

"Yup! Where are you? Your voice is coming from everywhere!"

Blanco furrowed his brows. Everywhere? That didn't make any sense. Sense…senses! That was it! Being blind he was unable to see and describe his surroundings, but his sensitive hearing could discern real voices from false. And he could help them.

"Tommy! Listen to me. When I say go, plug your ears. I'll start to scream continuously. The direction where there is no sound follow. And…..GO!"

Summoning all of his strength, Blanco inhaled deeply. His lungs protested at such an intake, which he released into a high- volume dying goat cry. Blanco's ears were pinned in the effort. He could not waver or stop! His friends were counting on him. He was their compass.

…...

At Blanco's direction, Tommy plugged his ears and nodded for the others to do the same. Cinnamon Bun raised an eyebrow at him but didn't complain. True to his word, Blanco's plaintive wail started up, and it was waning in strength by every second.

'We don't have much time.' Tommy bit his lip, slowly turning his body. Nebula was grimacing, Elegant Nightmare was shaking her head in annoyance. The only pony who showed no reaction was Smoulderdash. He looked perplexed as the others made faces around him. Flicking his tail, Tommy started floating in the Pegasus' direction. The others shrugged and fell into line behind the determined hybrid.

They covered a little ground before the scream stopped completely. Abruptly, Tommy halted in place. Nebula almost passed under him.

They waited patiently until the sound started once more.

In this way they traveled, stopping and going like a game. At that point all but Tommy dropped holding their ears and left the work to him.

Tommy looked at them.

"Based on the volume, I'd say we're almost-"

"Blanco!" Cinnamon Bun screeched, cannonballing past them and launching herself off the massive arch on which they were traveling.

Nebula's eye widened. "Oh. My. Mane."

Smoulderdash trotted to the edge and paused. "Well, she dead. And I just preened my wings too." He frowned.

"That was abruptly suicidal." Elegant Nightmare whistled through her teeth.

"Ah ain't dead, but thanks fo' your concern." Her voice drifted up from below.

Tommy peered over the edge. Sure enough, there sat Cinnamon Bun. She was busy squeezing the life out of poor Blanco.

"So…we just jump?" Nebula squeaked.

"Yuppers!"

"Oh, I don't think I could bring myself to do that." He rubbed a dark foreleg nervously.

"I can." With a mighty buck Smoulderdash booted Nebula off the arch, then dove after him.

The two equines fell slowly, with Nebula howling all the way. The unicorn landed with a plop and a whimper. "My mane!" He groaned. "My beautiful, glittery mane!"

"Aw, shaddap you big wuss." Smoulder snorted as he drifted lazily and touched down with all four hooves onto the platform.

"Says the jock with wings." Grumbled Nebula.

"I'll save your mane Nebby!" Elegant Nightmare flung her long body into open air, mismatched legs paddling wildly. Somehow, the more you tried to go quickly, the slower your descent.

Tommy shrugged and floated down to join them. He had a hold of this whole levitating thing.

…...

"Hank, is it true that the eyes are the doorway to the soul?"

Puppet Master glanced up from his lawn chair to find Joyful Noise just inches from his face. He flinched slightly, caught unguarded.

"Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" She blinked innocently.

The school had an indoor pool that was only open to a select few students. Mostly the Hoofball team. And whomever could unlock doors by sheer willpower. Joy was propped up on her forelegs out of the water leaning up to talk to Puppet Master, who was cursing himself for keeping his chair so close to the water.

"Don't sneak up on me like that. And personal space when you're soaking wet, okay? My book might get wet."

The yellow mare giggled. She knew he got snappy when she got the upper hoof on him. He'd calm down in a bit.

Hank sniffed disdainfully, closing his book and placing it at a safe distance. "Back to your question."

She shifted her weight eagerly.

"The answer is…no." Noting her disappointment, he went on. "It can tell a lot about a pony's personality."

"Oh! Do you have to look long in order to find it?" Joy wiggled even closer to him.

"I don't know. I've never checked." He went to pick up his book. A cold wet hoof placed upon his foreleg stopped him.

"Wait. All these staring contests and you never once looked?" She gasped in disbelief.

Hank snorted. "I have a third clear eyelid that I slide on and usually I sleep during the whole thing." That was partially the truth. He did enjoy watching her eyes.

"That…explains a lot." She removed her hoof, deep in thought.

"Would you like me to look?"

This brought Joy back to reality. "Yes please! Describe everything!" She flopped on land until only her hind legs remained submerged. Joy loved his descriptions. They were so…colorful. In a black and white way.

Hank, features emotionless, put a gentle hoof under her chin and tilted it slightly upward towards him. At this angle he could see perfectly. Her eyes widened.

"There's a lot going on in there. Aha. Oh!." He drew back, ears pinned slightly.

"Tell me what you saw!" Joy slid back into the water a bit more.

"If you wish. I shan't describe them as stars. Nasty creatures, stars are. I listen to them die every night and yet their light still reaches us. No, your eyes are like the sequins of a disco ball at a rave concert, sprayed with glitter and shining like a crazy diamond. Always shining. I don't understand how they always do that, no matter your health or mood." Puppet Master shook his head.

"Also, they glimmer as if about to shed a tear, but never get around to it. Seriously, all the shimmering and shining is enough to be painful. Beneath all the sparkly stuff lies a dark whirlpool of hopes, dreams, memories, and knowledge. All whipped together in a continuous blender.."

This time, he scooted closer to her, front half draped off his chair and on the ground.

"I have seen supernovas, auroras, and rainbows, throwing their own fantastic array of color and light. Wormholes with 70 different shades of blues and purples apiece. But never, ever, in my entire life, have I gazed upon something as fantastic and beautiful as your eyes. Truly mesmerizing." Hank whispered the last bit, his lips centimeters from Joy's.

The yellow mare blushed a rare crimson. Hank always meant what he said.

She blinked slowly and went to close the gap between them. Only to be shot down by him bumping her nose to his and settling back into his chair.

"What was that?!" Joy spluttered, totally flustered and slightly embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed deeply.

Hank ignored her and turned a page. He had the upper hoof once more.

After a quick dive underwater, a recollected Joy popped her head up.

"You were totally gonna kiss me."

"I was considering it, yes." He yawned, studying her coolly.

She stuck her tongue out at him. So why did you change your mind?"

Hank tilted his head very slightly. "Why? Because I'm evil, quite simply said. And I absolutely adore the sound of your heat accelerating to a supersonic speed."

"Then I have to be faster next time." She vowed aloud.

"Hm. Are you fast enough to avoid that tidal wave brought on by that Hoofball player's cannonball? He's a big pony, just saying." He smirked, not even looking up as Joy frantically paddled away.

"You owe me a bubble ride later!" She yelped as the wave caught up.

…...

"So Blanco, what gave ya tha idea of coverin' our ears?" Cinnamon Bun asked, scooching slowly away from Smoulderdash who kept trying to sit next to her.

The group had gathered in a powwow circle, with Blanco at its center.

"Well, I figured that Hank altered sound so it was all in your head. That gives the illusion that it is actually around you. By covering your ears, you could only hear the fake voices, but not mine. 'Cuz it's not in your head." Blanco finished lamely.

"That idea is the best!" Tommy did a back flip in midair.

"Uh…Thanks?"

"Glad you didn't wander off the edge and die." Smoulder grunted, attempting to keep up with Cinnamon Bun.

Nebula, patting his freshly groomed mane, sighed contentedly. "It's a pity we had to end up where we started instead of outta here."

Elegant Nightmare nodded in consent.

"Am I the only one who thought that the voices were kind of wackadoodle last night?" Tommy piped up.

"Yea. They told me to try and say 'Irish Wristwatch' fast." Smoulder grimaced. "It's hard."

"Well, ah couldn't tell, 'cuz SOMEPONY kept smufflin' me under his wing." Cinnamon Bun growled.

The Pegasus in question huffed indignantly. "Well sor-ry! I didn't want any heat escaping."

"Mine just babbled on about 'poor life decisions' and how I should 'change my path.' Whatever that means." Nebula snickered.

Elegant Nightmare's head drooped. "They said they didn't like me and left me alone." Both her donkey and horse ear pinned.

"Wish I had your problem. My voices dared me to do a barrel roll, and then went on to bat me around until I did. Multiple times at random hours. My abs must be wicked by now." Tommy laughed uneasily.

Blanco remained silent. The voices just whispered right out of earshot for him.

"Well, we're all together now, an' that's the most important thing." Cinnamon Bun nodded, then went to talk to Blanco inclusively.

The crowd dispersed, most of them to tap their heads off an arch from boredom.

"Hey Blanco, Smoulder found this piece of trash an' he gave it ta me. What should ah do? Ain't that like ah pegasi courtship thing?" Cinnamon Bun asked specifically Blanco this, for he was majoring in pony biology and he knew these things.

"May I see it?" He inquired, barely wanting to hope.

"Uh, sure. Not exactly seein' how it answers mah question…" She handed the object over, skeptical.

Blanco ran his hooves over it for a minute, then leapt up. "Cinnamon Bun! This." He held it up excitedly, almost hyperventilating.

"What?", She looked uneasy. "It ain't an engagement thing, right?"

"No, not that. This 'trash'," He shook it in the air. "It's our key out!"


	6. Ch 6 Onwards

**I do not own the show My Little Pony. My story's connections to it are completely minimal. Smoulderdash is not related to Rainbow Dash in any way.**

Chapter 6

The sound of five jaws hitting the floor simultaneously could be heard.

"Yah're tellin' me that Smoulderdash actually did somethin' useful?" Cinnamon Bun's eyes widened.

"Technically, he did the most important thing of all." Blanco nodded, dead serious.

"Ha! My instincts are the best!" The Pegasus crowed, prancing over to them with a smug expression written all over his face. "I told you it wasn't junk!"

Smoulder rose up onto his hind legs doing the moonwalk to the speed of his annoying victory song. "Uh huh, uh huh, I knew it all along, I was right and you were wrong."

Cinnamon Bun sulked this time around.

Nebula rolled his eyes. "Like conversation isn't fascinating, but can we get out of here?"

"But of course." Blanco grinned stepping off the glyph and readying the key.

Just as he was about to place it in, Tommy floated over and swatted his hooves away.

"Wait! What if this place blows up instead of releasing us?"

"Hank wouldn't do that….would he?" Elegant Nightmare chuckled nervously glancing about.

The group went quiet. Puppet Master most definitely would do something like that.

"Aw buck it," Smoulderdash snarled, snatching the key and slamming it into place. "If we die, we'll all die as friends."

"You can always count on Smoulder to kill us all." Nebula sighed, defeated.

The oubliette rumbled as a massive portal split the platform in half. This one matched the portal above them, which seemed to be a good sign.

Blanco, who had no idea what just occurred, went to take a step toward Cinnamon Bun.

"No, Blanco! Stop-" Her plea came too late.

The blind unicorn slipped off the empty edge and tumbled sideways into the wormhole, his mouth gaping in a surprised 'o'. With a swift zap, he was gone.

The herd stared in shock.

Tommy broke the silence. "Well, that answers the question of who was going first."

Curiously, he hovered near it. "It doesn't look very dangerous." The mule peered at the pulsating object.

He then felt a slight tug. Tommy attempted to float out of its clutches, but the vacuum of air proved to be too strong. "Adios mis amigos! Hopefully I'm going to a better place!" He saluted them before being sucked into the portal.

Smoulderdash swished his tail. The fall didn't seem to be that far. He turned to Cinnamon Bun. "If this portal leads to a certain death, I want you to know that you're different than any girl I've ever flirted with."

"Yea, 'cuz ah don't like ya." She snorted.

The Pegasus laughed, then roughly pressed his lips onto hers for a quick second. The paint mare took a swing at him, but Smoulderdash was already gone.

"See you in the next world babe!" His voice rose from the edge.

Cinnamon Bun, blushing madly, galloped after him. "Git back here ya idiot, so ah can punch yah face into a bloody pulp!"

After the two of them were gone as well, Nebula glared at Elegant Nightmare. "Don't even THINK of pulling a little stunt like that." He hissed.

"I wouldn't dream of it!" She gasped. Instead she grabbed the unicorn into a headlock and pulled him after her.

"I hate you." Grumbled Nebula before being enveloped by the wormhole.

…...

Puppet Master paused in the main corridor, slightly distracted from his original task. Which was, at the moment, preserving a massive bubble so Joyful Noise could float freely. And smack off the walls like a pinball on caffeine. The slight distraction grew by the second, eventually causing the bubble to weaken as his attention was diverted elsewhere. A soft pop ended the bubble. He wasn't tracking her location, so Hank was completely flattened as the yellow mare fell on top of him.

"Oh hey!" Joy scrabbled to sit up, perched on his back "Thanks for breaking my fall."

He barely acknowledged her presence remaining belly down on the floor, staring into space. Quite abruptly, he sneezed.

Joy flicked an ear, head tilted. She poked the back of his neck. "Hey, hey! What's wrong?" She knew that Puppet Master never got sick, so a sneeze was a rare event.

The slate grey pony inhaled sharply, returning to the zone. "Oh, nothing. I just sensed a disturbance is all."

"Yay! Are they almost back?" She wiggled in place.

"Cut that out! My spine exists, you know." Hank winced, just then noticing her weight.

"Oh yea, sorry!" Joy hopped off.

"I think we have time for one more bubble ride before supper." He stretched leisurely, getting back up.

"I'll save it for tomorrow. Let's go watch the sunset! I love the colors." She shifted legs, eyes alight.

Hank shrugged. "If you wish." He had seen this sky arrangement multiple times, but it never seemed to grow old for her. She would beam and glow brighter than the fading light. Honestly, Joy was more fun to watch than the sunset itself. He lagged behind her, listened as she chattered amiably.

"…And I made pasta earlier. But the noodles boiled over! So I tried to mop it up but got burnt instead."

"Wait, you like cooking?" Hank interrupted skeptically.

"Well, not really. Cinnamon Bun is teaching me. She said it'd be useful to know once we're out of here. I only have, like, three recipes." Joy admitted.

He nodded. That sounded accurate. "So you got injured. How badly?"

"Not much. I can't bump it off of anything though." She slowed and displayed a little red patch above her right fore hoof.

Hank made a face. "I am debating healing that. You knock into everything."

"It's not that bad, really." Joyful Noise bounded out of the college's main entrance, selecting her favorite spot on the marble wall bordering it.

Puppet Master preferred to sit on the steps right below the wall. This time he sat on the wall, the side of her injury. "I insist. Allow me to heal your abrasion."

"As long as it isn't too much trouble." Joy held out her fore leg. She personally found his healing method highly amusing. So she allowed herself to be distracted from the sunset to witness this spectacle.

Puppet Master slithered his pointy tongue out of his mouth, lapping some spit onto his hoof then, in turn, rubbing it onto her burn. He watched the reaction, gauging how much more he needed to add, repeating the process until the red faded to pink and then back to yellow, the fur being replaced at an impressive speed.

"Aw, I was hoping you would lick my foot!" Joy laughed.

"I've stopped the direct contact thing ever since Tommy bit his lip and in extreme pain grabbed my sleeping head." Hank grimaced at the memory.

Gratefully, Joyful Noise snuggled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Why do you have healing saliva again?"

He rumbled slightly, enjoying the contact. "I have extremely venomous teeth, so if I nick my tongue I won't die."

"Wish I had that." She sighed, leaning into him and lapsing into a comfortable silence. Her warm breath tickled his cheek, welcome against the cooling air.

That sunset was the best darned one Puppet Master had ever seen.

…...

Smoulderdash came to, body on fire. Well, it wasn't literally aflame, it just felt that way. "Gosh, I hate portal travel." He groaned, flopping over onto his side, wing hanging limply.

Tommy strode over and patted his shoulder. "Get up man, I don't want the others landing on you. They'd get injured."

Smoulder inhaled deeply, then exhaled. The others could crack their heads off this concrete floor for all he cared. The only thing that mattered to him was his stacked body, not their weak flabby ones. Reluctantly, he heaved himself over a few feet.

It was a good thing he did, for just a few seconds later a furious paint mare came flailing down. She landed on her belly with an audible "oof". Cinnamon Bun lay in recoil for a minute, then jumped nimbly onto her hooves. Her pretty head whirled in Smoulder's direction so fast he could've sworn her neck popped. He knew what was coming.

"YOU!" Cinnamon Bun raved, sparks shooting from her eyes. She pawed the ground, ready to charge.

"Oh shoot." Smoulderdash shot into the air as she mad a wild run for him. He pumped his wings, feeling them grow taut in the normal gravity. He could fly free again! With a joyous whoop, he swooped and dove, banking sharply whenever Cinnamon Bun lunged at him.

The paint mare panted, head low. She tossed her mane in disgust. Smoulder just saw this as a game. Cinnamon Bun gave up the fight for now.

Tommy watched the whole exchange trying not to burst out in laughter. Blanco just looked very confused.

"Tommy, where are we?" The white unicorn inquired.

"I have no idea." Tommy shrugged in reply.

"Pft. Scrubs. We're in the college's basement." Smoulderdash called, dipping down to yank cheekily on Cinnamon Bun's tail, which threw her into another fit.

"The basement?" A perplexed Nebula rubbed his aching skull. "How would he know that?"

"One year ago," Elegant Nightmare narrated, "Smoulder's sports scholarship only covered his classes and not his dorm. So he lived in the basement." She flipped her hair.

"Haw, what a loser!" Cinnamon Bun cackled up at him.

Tommy frowned. "It's kinda dark down here…"

"You act like this school can afford to light the basement." Scoffed Blanco, who promptly ran into a dusty desk.

"Hey, at least I can walk on solid earth again!" The mule jumped over a paint can.

"Smoulder, do you know where the exit is?" Nebula asked.

"Huh? Oh yea. This way noobs." Smoulder was perfectly conferrable in the basement. Never mind that it did take a year to figure that out. Stupid state funding.

He led them around decaying newspapers, moldy insulation, and busted chairs to a rickety wooden staircase. A small shaft of light could be seen under the door at the top.

Tommy moved fast, taking the steps three at a time to reach the exit first. He gave a bray of dismay as he jiggled the knob. "It's locked!"

"It can't be locked. There's no keyhole." Cinnamon Bun peered over, inspecting it in the dim light. The stairs creaked at all of the foreign weight.

Nebula yelped in alarm. The others turned to look at him, and noticed these neon purple streaks. They were engraving themselves into the wall directly behind them, right where the dark unicorn had been loitering. Nebula was now shivering dejectedly behind a pile of computer paper. The group watched in fascination as it slowly spelled, 'Search your hearts, search your minds. Then the password you will find.'


	7. Ch 7 How Did Nebula Do That?

**I do not own the show My Little Pony. My story's connections to it are completely minimal. Smoulderdash is not related to Rainbow Dash in any way.**

Chapter 7

"Search our hearts?" Screeched Nebula from his safe corner. "Seriously?!"

"An' our minds. Kinda hard if ya don't have either." Cinnamon Bun glared meaningfully at Smoulderdash.

"I do so have a heart. If you come on over here you'd hear it." He smirked.

"Ah ain't getting' that close to ya ever!" She growled, stalking back a few steps.

"We all know that your secret dream is to bury your face into my chest. It's fluffy…" The Pegasus advanced, amused at her reactions.

Cinnamon Bun took off. "Don't touch me ya creep."

Smoulder sat on the bottom step, shrugging. His wings unfolded partway for comfort. "Her loss."

Tommy tapped a hoof against the thin metal of the door. "I'm searching my heart…hmm….nothing."

Nebula, still hidden behind the paper, hid his head in his forelegs. "My heart is telling me that I'm sorry for glitter bombing Hank's locker."

"What was that Nebby?" Elegant Nightmare poked her head around the corner, just in time to see him vaporize with a 'Pop' and haze of purple sparkles.

"Nebula?" The draconequus bawled. "Nebula! Where are you? Where did you go!" She frantically whirled in circles.

The others, curious about the commotion Elegant was causing, came rushing over.

"What happened here?" Tommy inquired, lightly pawing at the remnant glitter.

"Noo, don't touch that! You're killing Nebby!" She scrabbled all the shimmery stuff into a pile, wailing like a banshee.

Cinnamon Bun frowned. "Can ya calm down?" The paint mare's annoyance flared by the second. "Elegant! Calm. Down!"

Her shout went unheeded. Cinnamon Bun has had enough crap from everypony else. With a mighty yank, she had Elegant Nightmare in a headlock. "Calm..(shake)..Tha..(shake)..Hay..(shake)..Down!" She released her after a few more well placed thrashes.

Elegant staggered a few steps, brains too addled to panic anymore.

"That's better." Cinnamon snorted contentedly.

"Now Elegant Nightmare, tell us exactly what happened. If Nebula is in trouble you just wasted precious minutes flipping out. Would he like that?" Blanco gently chided, stepping forward to place a hoof on her shoulder.

Bottom lip trembling, Elegant violently shook her head. "It just happened so fast, I'm in shock."

Smoulderdash rolled his eyes. "Aw, cut the drama crybaby."

"Fine fine." Elegant Nightmare fluffed her mane. "I heard him mumble something about being sorry, and…glitter bombing? And then he was gone!" Her front paw started to spaz about. "Oh my gosh. I'm getting separation withdrawal from him! Nebby!" She caterwauled, slowly crumpling to the floor.

"She's fine." Tommy concealed a grin. "Alright team, huddle up!"

Cinnamon Bun, Blanco, Tommy, and Smoulderdash gathered in a tight circle.

"We know that something Nebula said released him. What're we missing." The mule mused.

"Well, ah didn't glitter bomb him, so that ain't it." Cinnamon Bun replied.

They retreated into their own thoughts for a minute.

"I know! He said he was sorry correct? Hank originally put us here as a punishment, right? So let's search our minds and apologize out loud." Blanco reached a conclusion.

"Yeah!" Tommy agreed. "But my list is so long it'd take hours to say everything."

Cinnamon Bun bared her teeth, frontal gap flashing like a buck-toothed beaver's would. "Ah ain't apologizin' fo' nothin'!" She stamped an angry hoof.

Smoulderdash fidgeted, wings twitching at his sides. "Well, I didn't outright do anything to him…but…it's complicated. Technically I don't have anything to say either."

"Yes, well, after all we've been through, the least I can do is apologize." Blanco backed out of their huddle and took a deep breath. "Puppet Master, if you can hear me, I'm very sorry for trying to milk your venom like a snake keeper would. My condolences. I hope you got the taste of plastic out of your mouth." The blind unicorn waited a moment, eyes clenched. His words oozed in gentility.

"I don't think it…." Blanco faded away still mouthing the sentence, and only the empty air remained.

The others gawked.

"It worked!" Tommy whooped, pumping an arm in victory.

Elegant rose from her swoon. "You sent a blind pony to save my Nebby?!" She looked to the crusty ceiling. "Hank you miserable beast, I think you deserved the invisible ink in your pen during the finals for disagreeing with Nebula's fashion sense. Now he's gone, and I see that what I did…was wrong." Elegant Nightmare pursed her lips, eyes downcast. She was quite the actress. Her crocodile tears were enough to fool whatever spell held her there. Within the minute, she too was gone.

…...

"One! Two! Three! Keep on moving ladies!" An overly cheerful body instructor plastered with a huge fake smile urged. Puppet Master groaned internally, tearing his gaze from the TV over to Joyful Noise.

"We've been doing these sideways leg lifts for a half hour! On the same side." He glowered. His side hurt, and his leg was sore.

"You mean, I've been doing this for a half hour. You did five and quit." Joy corrected.

"There is no way that is healthy."

"It's plenty healthy Hank! I wanna win the long jump this year." She puffed. Joy was a very pale yellow, clearly giving in to exhaustion.

Hank swiftly snatched the remote. With a swift click, the leg-lifting was paused.

"Aw, why? We were just about to switch sides!" Joy wheezed, flopping over onto her back.

"Ten minute break." Hank stated, rising to his hooves. "I'm parched."

"But…you didn't…do anything…" She smiled, eyes closed. Her body still heaved from the exertion.

Puppet Master ignored her comment as he trotted over to the mini fridge that was located in the wrestling room. His hooves sank slightly into the matted floor.

"Here we are. Two genetically modified electrolyte infused waters with red dye 51 and yellow 27. One artificially flavored as cherry, and the other peach. Pick your poison." Hank returned with the beverages balanced carefully on his back.

Joyful Noise blinked. "Which GatorRide do I want? Uh…cherry."

He nodded, popping the seal with a well placed bite before handing the bottle over.

The yellow mare sat up, chugging the cool drink with much delight. It always stained her tongue red. But the peach flavor would turn Hank orange, and that was hilarious. He, on the other hoof, always took slow delicate sips instead of large quick gulps.

"Okay! Ten minutes is up! Let's get back to business!" Joyful Noise exclaimed, tossing the empty bottle behind her. It landed perfectly in the recycling bin. She nabbed back the remote. After flicking it back to life, she turned onto her other side.

Hank sighed. "Do I have to?"

"No, actually. I never asked you to join in silly, you invited yourself!"

"Oh. Quite true. I shall complain anyway."

Joy giggled and shook her head. "I forgot to tell you, but I saw Nebula a few minutes ago. He passed by this weight room during break so I guess they're back."

"I am well aware of this. Hopefully, they've learned their lesson." Puppet Master reached six lifts before calling it quits.

"Hey guys! It feels great to be outta that dump," Tommy frolicked through the open double doors into the matted room. "I did it Hank! It took me an hour and a half, but I apologized for every single thing I've ever done to you." The mule took a place near Joy and started to work out as well.

"Yes, I heard all of it. Seriously, you should have said that you were sorry for everything. That spell wouldn't know any better. It was a weak one anyway." Hank scoffed. "It got insanely irritating at one point, honestly."

Tommy flicked an ear in recognition to this fact. "It was annoying to me as well. Gosh! I know this episode Joy! You burn so much cardio."

"I know, right?" She nodded enthusiastically.

"So that leaves Smoulderdash and Cinnamon Bun. The two most thick/hot headed ponies." Hank murmured. He returned his attention to the two figures struggling through the intense workout.

…...

"Why can't ya just apologize already an' get outta mah sight." Cinnamon Bun snarled.

"I said, it's not easy to explain! What I did wasn't exactly to him." The Pegasus pinned his ears. "So why don't you just do it?"

"Cuz ah ain't sorry." She retorted. Cinnamon knew she had to control her rage, but it was so hard with the object of her hatred nearby.

"Great. Hank is going to hear you and keep us trapped forever." Smoulderdash ruffled his wings.

"well ah don't care. Ya hear that Puppet Master? Ah! Ain't! Sorry! Not fo' slammin' the door in ya face when ya asked ta borrow mah explosive hair gel, not even fo' tha time ah sneezed all over a cake an' served it ta tha entire class!" The paint mare hollered at the ceiling.

"Aw ew! You did that? That means…I've sampled your DNA and liked it." Smoulder grimaced slightly, then smirked. "Now that I think about it, being stuck down here with you isn't such a loss."

Cinnamon Bun inhaled sharply in terror, mouth agape.

"Hank!" She yelped, spinning away and standing on her hind legs to yell more effectively. "Hank! Ah take it all back! Ah'm sorry! Even though ya were tha only pony ta catch on ta tha whole cake thing an' not eat it. Everythin' else, ah regret!"

Smoulderdash preened his shoulder fur, watching her until she left his view and the basement. Shrugging, he got up and clopped up the stairs. Eyeing the door, he turned until his hindquarters faced it. Plunging his torso downward, Smoulderdash reared his rear legs up and smashed the door open. BANG!

Blinking as the harsh light blinded him, the Pegasus stepped above ground. It felt like he'd been down there for a week! A calendar nearby read three days. Three days? Smoulderdash wasn't good at math, but even to him the numbers didn't add up. Hank had some explaining to do.


	8. Ch 8 Confontation, the Last Interactions

**I do not own the show My Little Pony. My story's connections to it are completely minimal. Smoulderdash is not related to Rainbow Dash in any way.**

Chapter 8

"Me? Explain everything?" Puppet Master slowly backed against the baby blue of his dorm's wall. He held his head high and surveyed the irked crowd coldly. Joyful Noise hid behind as much of him as possible, nostrils quivering.

Cinnamon Bun, ears and front lowered threateningly, advanced. "Listen here ya coward. Instead of just confrontin' us about yah're problems, ya just dumped us inta an….ooby somethin'." She tripped on the word.

"Oubliette." Tommy offered. He was hiding in the safety of his top bunk.

"Yea! That thing. An' then we had ta a lil' mind game! Ta top it off, we were trapped fo' a week! That's longer than half our break!"

Nebula silently brewed until she had finished ranting. "Not only that, I missed my big fashion deadline. It was due four days ago. Plus when we were down there, we faced starvation! We almost got lost! We could've been there for years! And I can't even talk about how many times my mane had been destroyed."

"Yea," Elegant Nightmare cut in, and pointed accusingly at Joyful Noise. "How come she knew the way out, huh? What gives her special treatment? She's the most annoying outta all of us!"

Joy flinched, pressing her shivering pelt against Hank's steady one. The accusations stabbed her to the core, like a hot knife through butter.

Puppet Master's sharp lemon-hued eyes flashed, and he abruptly laughed. It was a deep, guttural, wry sound. "Oh my little ponies. You should be thanking me!"

"Th..thank ya? What fo'?" Cinnamon Bun's resolve had snapped as she attempted to keep up her fierce appearance. It was faltering.

"You all really are dense. Quite sad, really." Hank took a step forward, a deranged grin spreading slowly across his muzzle.

Intimidated, the small crowd shuffled back, casting uneasy glances. What were they missing?

"Joy here is a perfect specimen. She got out because she is the smartest and most imaginative. Sure, you might be creative, obsessive, tough, and genius. But not imaginative. As an extra, her attitude boosted the speed of escaping. She viewed it as an adventure, a good time. She never felt trapped or confined."

The yellow mare in question perked up considerably. She had no idea that Hank held her in such a high regard.

"Blanco didn't suffer nearly as much as you either. His faith didn't walk on broken glass, for he understood the virtue of patience, and how important it is. I respect that. He kept his cool."

Tommy sighed audibly. "Dang. My attitude sucked."

The others were simply speechless.

"Another point missed: This was a friendship test. Your willingness to abandon the 'weakest' link made me sick. Thus the mind game as a punishment. Honestly. Disgusting and unhonorable. Blanco literally sacrificed himself while you just went exploring in one crazy psycho march. None of you would've returned for him if you'd found the exit." Hank spat angrily.

Nebula and Elegant Nightmare looked very guilty, heads hung down.

Cinnamon Bun was aghast. "Ah would've! Blanco is mah pal!"

"Hmm, yes. But did you check to see if he was okay after you got out of the basement?" The paint mare went silent at his counter example. "Didn't think so."

Joyful Noise peeked out from next to Tommy. "Tell them about the thing!"

At that moment, Smoulderdash crashed in. "Hay y'all. Am I late? Did I miss the mobbing?" He took a place by Cinnamon Bun who scooted away.

"Alas, you were. We're talking civilly at the moment. Do you have any questions?" Hank relaxed a bit.

"Oh yea. How come the calendar said we were only down there for three days?" Smoulder sat, utterly perplexed.

"Wait. Three days? That's impossible!" Nebula gasped, glad to be off the topic of Blanco.

"Did you move the sun?" Elegant inquired.

"Did I move the sun? Not a bad idea, actually. I'll look into it." Hank mused, rubbing his chin.

"What's only three days?" Blanco blundered in, barely missing the doorframe.

"Did you know that we were possibly trapped for only three days Blanco?" Tommy bounced slightly at the possibility, almost knocking Joy off.

"I dunno, feels right I guess…all days are the same to me. It took awhile to realize that I wasn't in the basement anymore." The blind unicorn scratched an ear.

"Impossible is right. We were there much longer." Cinnamon Bun scoffed. She turned to Puppet Master, uneasy. "Right?"

Hank's demented smile grew. "It was exactly three days. And no, the sun wasn't involved."

The others shifted in place.

"Oh, I'm dying to hear this!" Tommy leaned his head over the edge.

Joy wiggled as well. "It's really good, you'll love it."

"Based on popular demand, I shall reveal the secret." Puppet Master flicked his tail, waiting for their full attention. "Since there was only artificial lightning, your brains couldn't track time correctly. So, by simply dimming the lights and cooling the air, you were fooled by the illusion of night!" He clapped his hooves, pleased that it had worked so well. "Only three days passed, I swear. Any more questions? No?" Hank smirked slightly at their dumbfoundedness. "Then you're dismissed."

The crowd, so mutinous and enraged before, dispersed as meekly as sheep on sleeping pills.

'Whoa. Weren't we supposed to rough him up? And now we're following his direction?" Smoulderdash confided to Cinnamon Bun.

"Ah guess so." Hank's talk got her to thinking about where her loyalties lied.

"Are you thinking about the time before I jumped into that portal?" Smoulderdash crooned, leaning his head over so their eyes lined up.

"N…no!" She sputtered, coloring immediately. "Much ta contrary belief, ah don't think about ya every wakin' minute."

"Hmm..okay. I doubt it." The jocky Pegasus playfully whacked her upside the shoulder with a wing.

"Ah don't!" Cinnamon Bun returned the blow.

"Doubt. It." He cackled before charging ahead.

"Oh, ah'll give ya somethin' ta think about." She bolted after him, fully intent on beating the pulp out of him.

Their laughter rang out through the halls.

"They're so cute." Blanco chuckled as he meandered to the library.

"Agreed. Do you know where the vector calculus section is?" Tommy scanned the shelves, lost in the Dewey Decimal system.

"But of course. Just because I'm unable to see doesn't mean I can't be an assistant librarian!" The white unicorn hummed, gently stroking the faded leather of the books.

…...

Nebula sorted through a massive stack of ribbons. The multicolored velvets soothed his frayed nerves. "Can you fathom the reason of Hank doing that to us? Ugh! Now I only have a day to get this entered."

"Don't worry Nebby! I'll help you." Elegant Nightmare patted his mane affectionately before easily following his pattern. The outfit was done in under an hour.

"Wow. At this rate we'll have the whole afternoon off! I never realized how talented you actually were at this." Nebula held up the finished product in awe.

Elegant blushed at the complement. "Well, I learned from the best."

"Good. Here's seven more."

…...

Puppet Master stretched, glad that it was over. "I don't know why I even hang out with them."

Joyful Noise leaped from the top rung of the ladder to the floor. "I thought you handled that quite well."

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I?" He scoffed, lifting up a stray pillow and tossing it back to where it belonged.

"All ponies get nervous Hank! It's okay for reals." She hopped over, inspecting the pillow's robustness. Joy fluffed it and propped it artfully in its place.

"Fine. I held my breath when Cinnamon Bun threatened me. I really didn't want to have to send her into another abyss in front of everypony. Not good for the college's morale." Puppet Master turned, watching what she was doing. "The pillow looks fluffed enough."

"You're right." She quickly put it back. "I'm just releasing stress. I don't even know why I was worried! You were there the whole time protecting me." Joyful noise breathed, slowly closing her eyes and nuzzling his cheek. Right below the ear.

Hank stiffened. He could feel the smile that was on her lips. It was a grateful one, with…something else. "Are you…flirting with me?"

"Have been for years now, but thanks for noticing. Should I not have done that?" She flushed oh so slightly, leaning back to study his reaction. Her eyes shimmered with fear of messing it all up.

"I'm just shocked, is all. I thought I was the flirty one; I never brought this into consideration."

"Well, time to recalculate that internal formula of yours!" Joy giggled, tapping his forehead with a hoof. "Maybe you're the dense one in this story."

"Oh, don't make me throw you into an abyss instead." He smirked slightly.

"I'd like that." She trotted out the door. "Come on! We'll miss lunch!"

"Grand." Hank rolled his eyes. "We can't do that, now can we." Lunch would actually be perfect timing. Plenty of recalculating. And maybe, just maybe, he'd come up with a plausible solution.

The End

 **A very special thank you to whoever read this wonderful, rambling story. It doesn't seem like much, but each character is a fragment of, well, me. A review would be very much appreciated! Please be on the lookout for another work by me, Pone-Dancer-Called-Tony!**


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